Michigan cheese recalled for possibility of Listeria

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A dairy in Dearborn, Michigan, said it is recalling certain cheeses because they could be contaminated with Listeria and may have already sickened two people.

Green Cedar Dairy's recall, posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website on Wednesday, included All Natural Ackawi Cheese and All Natural Chives Cheese with a sell-by date up to July 1, 2012.

The Michigan Department of Community Health and the Wayne County Public Health Department are investigating two recent cases of Listeria infection in which individuals may have had exposure to Green Cedar Dairy products.

These products were distributed to bakeries and retail stores in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

Listeria infection, or listeriosis, is caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms typically include a fever, muscle aches and sometimes diarrhea or other stomach problems.

Pregnant women, newborns, older adults and those with weak immune systems are more susceptible to infection.

In the United States an estimated 1,600 individuals become seriously ill from the infection each year. Of those, 260 die.